Robert Duvall Biography

Robert Duvall (born on January 5, 1931) is an Academy
Award-winning American film actor and director.

Biography

Robert Duvall was born in San Diego, California. Duvall's
father, William Howard Duvall, was a former US Navy admiral with
French Huguenot roots; his mother was an amateur actress and a
descendant of American Civil War General Robert E. Lee. Robert's
father was a Methodist and his mother was a Christian Scientist;
he was raised in the Christian Science religion, which he claims
to follow today despite many years living a decidedly
un-Christian lifestyle (as he states in a 2006 article in Vanity
Fair).

Duvall grew up in a military family, living for a time in
Annapolis, Maryland near the United States Naval Academy. He
served in the United States Army (service number 52 346 646)
from 19 August 1953 to 20 August 1954, achieving the rank of
Private First Class and awarded the National Defense Service
Medal.

Duvall studied acting at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of
Theatre in New York under Sanford Meisner. While struggling as
an actor, he worked at a Manhattan post office as a clerk but
quit after six months. Duvall said he didn't want to be working
at the same place twenty years from now.

Robert Duvall's screen debut was as Boo Radley in the critically
acclaimed To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) he later played the
notorious malefactor Ned Pepper in True Grit (1969) but his
breakout role was a decade later as Tom Hagen in The Godfather
(1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974). Robert received an
Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in A Civil
Action and for his role as Colonel Kilgore in Apocalypse Now
(1979).

Robert Duvall directed the critically acclaimed The Apostle,
about a preacher on the run from the law, and Assassination
Tango (2002), a thriller about one of his favorite hobbies,
tango. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2005. He
received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on September 18,
2003.

Robert Duvall portrayed General Robert E. Lee in Gods and
Generals in 2003 and is actually a distant relative of the
historical figure.

Robert Duvall is close friends with Dustin Hoffman and Gene
Hackman, both of whom he's known since their struggling actor
days.

Robert Duvall has been married four times:

Barbara Benjamin (1964 - 1975)

Gail Youngs (1982 - 1986)

Sharon Brophy (1991 - 1996)

Luciana Pedraza (2005 - present)

Robert Duvall met Pedraza on a street in Buenos Aires. They
were both born on January 5, but Robert Duvall is 40 years
older. They have been together since 1997.

Robert speaks fluent Spanish and maintains a home in Virginia.
He has the same birthday as Godfather co-star Diane Keaton. His
favorite city is Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is an avid Tango
dancer and soccer fan.